Charles May (1818?–1879) was a British police officer who spent 34 years in colonial service in Hong Kong, where he served as the first head of the Hong Kong Police Force (1845) and head of the Hong Kong Fire Brigade (now Hong Kong Fire Service) in 1868.
Charles May | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles May c. 1818 London, England |
| Died | 25 April 1879 At sea, near Singapore |
Resting place | Buried at sea |
| Known for | First head of the Hong Kong Police Force (1845) Head of the Hong Kong Fire Brigade (1868) |
| Spouse | Harriet |
| Police career | |
| Country | Hong Kong Police Force |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Department | Metropolitan Police (UK) Hong Kong Police Force |
| Service years | 1835–1845 (Metropolitan Police) 1845–1862 (Hong Kong Police) |
| Status | Deceased |
| Rank | Captain Superintendent (Hong Kong Police) |
| Other work | Police Magistrate, Acting Colonial Treasurer, Superintendent of the Fire Brigade (Hong Kong) |
Life and career
editHe was born in London to John May, Superintendent of A Division of the Metropolitan Police. May himself joined that force on 7 November 1835 with his father as his sole referee, rising to Sergeant on 21 November 1837 and Inspector on 7 June 1839[1] before leaving England for Hong Kong, arriving on 28 February 1845 and remaining its Captain Superintendent of Police until 1862.[2][3]
May remained in the colony, serving in various other posts such as Police Magistrate, Acting Colonial Treasurer and Superintendent of the Fire Brigade. May left Hong Kong on 22 April 1879 but died at sea near Singapore on 25 April 1879. Buried at sea, he is noted on the family tomb at Kensal Green Cemetery.[2]
May was survived by his wife Harriet and daughter.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Metropolitan Police: Office of the Commissioner: Miscellaneous Books and Papers - Alphabetical Registers of Joiners - No. 2 Warrant Nos. 4988 - 19892 (MEPO 4/333/11120)". The National Archives.
- 1 2 "Hong Kong Cemetery". hongkongcemetery.blogspot.com. Retrieved Jun 4, 2020.
- ↑ "History - the First Century" (PDF). Hong Kong Police. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ↑ "Family History Research in Hong Kong | Genealogy Research in Homg Kong". Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
External links
editFurther reading
edit- Endacott, G. B. (2005) [1962]. A biographical sketch-book of early Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-962-209-742-1.